Sick Feather Duster
I just got a my aquarium set up. It is a 1/2 gallon tank.<Way to small, I recommend at least a 29.> I started with a domino damsel and a clown fish, a small feather duster, a small hermit crab
and a little bit of live rock.<You need to start small (and stay small with this size of tank) and let it cycle with live rock before adding any livestock.> a couple nights ago It got real cold outside
and in the house. Because my tank is so small it didn't come with a heater,
just a lamp, and the water must have gotten way to cold because the next
morning my damsel was dead and the clown fish didn't survive the morning. The
hermit crab is okay and there are still plenty of organisms within the rock
and sand; however my feather duster began discharging a mucus. It is clear
with flecks of red. I don't know if it is dying or just sick. What should I
do?  <Just watch him and do water changes.> Should I quarantine it or is it some kind of disease that can be cleared
up with a medication. I looked every where on the site but couldn't find
anything quite like this. Please help.  <You can find more info at www.wetwebmedia.com.  Keep reading, learning, and get a bigger tank.  Best regards, Cody>

Tiny Tanks, Yellow Polyps...
I started out a few months ago with a 5.5 AGA tank.
My inhabitant's (Yellow colonial polyps) Were doing well, multiplying in only a couple weeks. I had an AC MINI on the tank for circulation. I used 2 6500k pc bulbs. Last weekend, I moved some LR and LS into a new 2 gallon cube that I got from
a friend. In the last week, the polyps have taken a turn for the worse. Only a couple will open partially during the day, and they seem much skinnier and are wider in some spots than others. The bottom of the polyps are very skinny, and the tops are big. They look so much smaller than they used to be. I'm using the ac mini on the 2g as well, and think it may be too much current in the tank.
<Well, they actually do better with stronger water movement. They also tend to maintain their yellow color better when exposed to  light that is heavier in blue. Just give them high water quality and consistent conditions, and they should be fine. They may just be reacting to the changes in their environment...Be patient with them!>
Could it be the polyps have still not adjusted to the new tank?
What else could be the problem? I've searched the forums religiously  everyday, and still have not come up with a probable cause.
<Well, really hard to guess, but I'm leaning towards possible changes in the water quality/conditions, and reaction to a different lighting regimen...>
I have not listed any specs, as my test kits were accidentally thrown away, but I used all new water, and LS/LR from my existing, cycled tank. I know it's hard to make a diagnosis without water specs, so I hope to get new test kits this weekend.
<Really a worthwhile investment, IMO!>
Thanks in advance, Daniel
<Good luck to you, Daniel! Hang in there, use basic good husbandry and a few water tests, and these polyps should be fine! Regards, Scott F>

- Damsel Question -
Hi, I just added 7 pounds of live rock, doubling what was in my 12 gallon eclipse already. <Zoinks! That doesn't leave much water.> My domino damsel has been acting differently ever since as he isn't as active and is showing a small white spot towards the back end of his body. <Was the live rock cured? If not, your damsel could be in a world of hurt...> He used to be the king of the tank but is now just hiding a lot.   I do 25% water changes weekly and I was going to do one tomorrow as an extra precaution. <I would, along with a full round of tests.> What do you think has happened. <As I mentioned before, this is a small tank which has just gotten smaller due to the displacement of the extra rock. If the rock wasn't cured, it is curing now, and that would make the water a toxic brew for even the hardiest of fish.> Thanks in  advance, Jon
<Cheers, J -- >

Small Tank, Big Future!
Hi crew,
<Hello! Scott F. with you tonight>
I have a 60 Litre tank, which I guess is a 15 gallon tank in your language. I am finding out slowly that this is more like the size of a quarantine tank, which of course makes me feel sorry for my fish.
<Well, if you have fishes that are suited to small areas (like Clownfishes, gobies, frogfishes, etc.), or don't move around a lot, a small tank is not a recipe for disaster, and, in fact, can make a nice display that you and the fish will enjoy. However, husbandry issues (water changes, filtration, stability, etc) are critical in tanks with small volumes of water.>
My fish seem really happy though. I have in there a Moorish Idol juvenile (pretty small for a MI) two small clowns, a starfish and a coral banded shrimp. No corals or anemone. I think the tank is too small for corals, so will keep it as a fish only tank (unless you think otherwise).
<Well, not too small for some corals, but a combination of different species would be ill advised, as the "chemical warfare" that would take place in the confines of this tank would be disastrous for them. You're really at your tank's maximum capacity right now for fishes, particularly the Moorish Idol, which is a notoriously difficult fish to keep. Even many public aquariums have a tough time with them. It's going to need a much, much larger tank in the near future, and highly specialized care. Perhaps the fact that you have a small one may give it an outside chance of adapting to a captive diet...Sadly, most Moorish Idols die in captivity in a very short time. Since you have the fish, please do everything possible to give it the best possible care, or offer it to someone who can if you're not up to the challenge...>
I am falling in love with the Blue Tang. I know there are issues with white spot and other diseases, but I was told there are supplements you can add to the water to help out the tang
with some mucus membrane for their skin.
<I'd rather rely on good selection, careful quarantine, proper feeding, and high water quality to accomplish the same thing! Yes, these fishes can be a bit "touchy", but with proper conditions and diet, they can make spectacular pets for many, many years!>
Is my biological load already too high to get another fish?
<I'm afraid so...As mentioned above- you really need to find a more suitable home for the Moorish Idol; and you should not even consider the purchase of any tang unless you can provide substantially larger quarters in the very near future. As you correctly surmised, confinement to such a small tank for one of these fishes is cruel. Better to stick to smaller fish with less demanding requirements until you get a larger tank. Lots of interesting small fishes to choose from!>
If not, can I get a blue tang and successfully keep him without a QT, just using chemicals to treat his white spot? This
would be the last fish I would get for a long time. Thanks for your advice, Jared
<Well, Jared- I'd quarantine any new fish that is added to a tank. In addition to giving you the opportunity to prevent disease from entering your display tank, quarantine gives the new fish a chance to "relax" and recover from the rigors of capture, transport, and acclimation. If disease does manifest itself in the quarantine tank, it's a much easier process to treat the fish there. Even though you may be discouraged by your tank's size right now, don't be! Take the time to study your selections, enjoy some smaller, more suitable fishes, and gain valuable husbandry skills, and most of all, have fun! When you move up to that larger tank (as I know you will one day!), you'll already have the 60 litre tank for a quarantine system! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Mixing corals in a small reef tank 4/19/03
Good evening,
<cheers>
Quick question but take your time in answering. I am following your advise and not mixing hard corals with soft ones.  My 29g reef tank has several varieties of corallimorphs.  Would introducing star polyps violate the principle of avoiding the "mixed garden effect?" Thanks
<in such a small tank, there will always be prominent issues with aggression. The Starpolyps may be fine with the 'shrooms if their growth is checked. Both can grow quickly, however... and both are very aggressive. Best regards, Anthony>

- Greedy Shrimp in a Nano Tank -
Greetings Gang:
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
You guys perform such a great service.  Thanks for your support.
I have a 5 gallon nano-reef, which includes all the living rock I could cram into it, several varieties each of red and green macro algae, several snails, including a small bumble bee snail, a small orange sea star,  a red legged hermit crab, assorted types of button corals, a hammer coral, a Euphyllia, and two hungry peppermint shrimp (to control the Aiptasia).
This tank has been set up for several years and has a great balance.  I have been feeding the stony corals frozen Mysis shrimp and frozen zooplankton, rotating on  a daily basis.  I keep the water clean with very regular water changes every other day and have not had any problems, until I had a heart attack and spent a week in the hospital. <Good grief - I hope all is well with you now.> After coming home I noticed the Euphyllia was not very happy (hammer is doing fine), so I immediately got back to the water change thing.  Problem is that part of the Euphyllia looked like it was just not going to make it. <Probably not - a tank this small, with as much life and live rock in it as you have, has much less than five gallons of water in it, and that balance you speak of is precarious at best. Without the water changes, things would go south quickly.> I noticed last night that my two peppermint shrimp were busy cleaning up the last few remaining polyps off the skeleton.  Do peppermint shrimp pose a threat to a healthy Euphyllia? <Not to a healthy one... and not if they've been getting fed with other items, but... again, the week off... your system was out of balance.> Now I'm not sure if the coral died due to water quality or is being irritated and digested by the shrimp because I've seen them walk over the coral and seem to irritate it. <I'd think the changes in water quality would be most likely.> I would like to keep the remaining half of the Euphyllia alive and not sure how to protect it from the peppermint shrimp, or were the peppermint shrimp just performing housecleaning duties? <Most likely the Euphyllia was on its way out.> One of the peppermint shrimp is extremely red while the other one is more subdued and in the past have watched one of them giving birth to dozens of baby shrimp.  I am impressed how they can "walk" upside down on the surface of the water.  It is truly hard to believe so much life can survive in such a miniature ecosystem.
Also, I am having trouble controlling the razor Caulerpa.  The Bubble is a little easier, but both require constant harvesting.  Do you have any ideas regarding natural controls while keeping the size of my tank in mind? <Not in a tank of this size - you're just going to have to continue to remove it manually.> I was thinking along the line of either an invertebrate or small fish which feeds on the stuff. <I think it would throw your system off... make it harder to maintain.> I have tried to pull it out but, as you probably already know, totally getting rid of it is impossible.
Please don't suggest upgrading to a larger tank. <Ok.> We are in the process of adopting two otherwise homeless children and this tank is not a priority.
Thank you very much for your assistance.  You guys are very helpful.  I have submitted questions in the past and your advise is always right on.
<Cheers, J -- >

Green open brain coral and leather coral 5/31/03
Hello,
<Cheers>
I am going to buy a green open brain coral but am unsure of a few
things. First I keep reading conflicting information on your site as to how often to feed it ...some places say no more than twice a week and other places say at least 3-5 times weekly so I need to know how often I actually need to feed it.
<the difference here is the case by case e-mails we receive. An aquarist that has a large or heavy bio-load (other/large fishes, heavy feedings etc) will need to feed an open brain less often. Yet, if you have few fishes that are fed lightly, you will need to feed the coral more often>
Also I need to know what to feed... I feed the tank Mysis shrimp are those the right size and healthy enough for it?
<as you may have noticed in the archives repeatedly, you will need to feed a variety of meats of marine origin. Mysids are a good staple, but not complete or to be fed to exclusion>
If not than what would be best? How far apart do green open brain corals need to be form each other?
<a minimum of 10" (25 cm) between all corals is a fair start for the 2 year pictures. Still... some fast growing corals will need more room>
I want to have 2 or 3 if possible. I have a finger leather coral (I attached a pic of it from when I first stuck it in the tank)
that I fragged into 3 parts... all three parts are doing good. So I need to know if this coral needs to fed and if so what?
<nope... they cannot be target fed (polyps are too small). Rely on a fishless refugium instead and feeding on DOC's>
I was told and have read that they don't need to be fed ,and that they need to be fed so I'm not sure.
<they need to feed and eat, just not organismally (particles)>
Is it normal for them to expand open there polyps and then after several hours shrink?
<quite common>
or are they suppose to be open during the whole day? one more thing ....since they're the same coral does it matter how close they are to each other? (the picture is before I fragged it )
<frags from the same colony can touch>
I have a 29gal.
<yikes! This tank is too small for more than one brain coral... the leather will also outgrow this tank soon>
tank with 110watts of pc lighting that has been up for 6months.
here's what I plan on having (corals) finger leather (already have it) 1-3 green open brain corals milk leather coral or toadstool leather coral cabbage leather coral colt coral probably some mushrooms and/or green star polyps and maybe a candy cane coral and/or bubble coral if you think any of these is a bad mix or too many than please tell me what to leave out thanks allot, Eric :)
<it really is too much for a 29 gallon my friend. Forego the mushrooms and perhaps the star polyps for their aggression (need a larger tank to spread). Also resist the LPS like the bubble and other brains in smaller aquaria. Your best bet IMO is a variety of hardy leathers that you trim as necessary. Best of luck, Anthony>

20 Gallon Reef
Hi,
<Howdy, Don with you today>
I have a 20 gallon setup using a bio wheel mini, a used in-sump protein skimmer that I retrofitted to be a hang on (not sure which kind.  It uses a Rio 800 and produces medium dry foam with about 1/8 cup brown stinky liquid a week).  Lighting is 2 55w PC bulbs.  A 10000K and an actinic.  There is a yellow tail damsel, 2 Astrea snails, 3 small red legged hermit crabs, a bunch of tiny tiny snails and two 1 inch long light green tentacle like things (they come out at night) that stowed away on the live rock, 16 pounds live rock with about 20 brownish zoanthids and 2.5 inches sand.  A coral tank is my goal, with maybe 1 small fish and or 1 shrimp.  What corals would you suggest?  The tank is 3.5 months old.  I am open to all suggestions.
<Hmmmm, first, remember that a tank this small will be difficult to keep stable which will make this adventure more of a 'challenge'. I would suggest a 40G minimum and maybe use the 20 as a sump. With I would say you could do most anything you wanted short of anemones and clams. I would try to stick with corals that have a common need for light and water movement. With a 20 it will be difficult to keep the water stable so maybe some of the more hardy corallimorphs and soft corals? I would suggest you check out the Book of Coral Propagation by Anthony Calfo and Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman as well as our forum at http://www.wetwebfotos.com/forum All excellent resources. Hope this helps, Don>

Nano reef power heads and Caulerpa
I have a 10g nano-reef with 10lbs liverock and 15lbs live sand and is stocked
with various corals. I was wondering what powerheads would provide sufficient
water movement and not take up to much space. I was thinking about getting
mini jet pumps from aquarium systems.
<personally, I like these; nice sizes, good output, and they seem to last quite a while>
I also have a large growth of Caulerpa prolifera which is also taking
up to much space. The Caulerpa is an essential part of my tank by absorbing
nitrates.
<yeah, I hear ya on that.  Have you considered doing a small refugium?  That'd keep the Caulerpa in the system, but not taking up space in the tank.  I've even heard of folks using a power filter with no media in it for the purpose - just a bit of rock for the Caulerpa to hold on to>
I was wondering if I could take the Caulerpa out and in its place do
more frequent water changes.
<you could, conceivably, but it really is nice to have something for nutrient export.  Perhaps try Chaetomorpha macroalgae instead?>
Sorry for any inconvenience.
<Don't be, that's what we're here for!>
Kevin       
<Sabrina>

Re: Nanos 'n' Caulerpa
I was thinking about putting in a refugium. but I think I will just try a different type of macro algae. Thanks a lot
<sounds good, hope all goes well for you>
Kevin
<Sabrina>

Too small, too soon  (9-17-03)
Hi,<Cody, Cody here today!>
This is my first mail. but I have been reading the
articles on your website for quite sometime. very
informative.
I have a 12 gallon saltwater tank.. and have recently a
week back) introduces a Blue Damsel and an Ocellaris
Clownfish. Damsel dude seemed to be fine. but the
Ocellaris color have faded. fins are droopy. Water
condition is fine. temp around 80f. salinity around
1.024.<This is way too soon to have fish.  Do you have any live rock or anything?  Did you go through a cycle.  Have you checked you ammonia, nitrite, or nitrite?>
By the way, was it a good idea to have a clownfish and
a damsel is a 12 gallon tank. is this size too small?<It is a bit small especially with a fish as aggressive as the blue damsel.>
Any help will be greatly appreciated.<Answer these questions and get back to me.  Other than that just keep reading and learning and you will get it with time.  Cody>
Ajish C

Small Tank- Big Considerations!
Hi,
<Hi there! Scott F. at your service>
I was wondering what I should put in my new 25 gallon marine set-up. I have kept marines for some years and have other tanks. I am torn between keeping a solitary dwarf lionfish or having a few smaller fish like clowns/dwarf angels etc.
<I'd stick to one small pygmy angel, like C. fisheri or C. acanthops...Even a dwarf lionfish might be pushing it a bit..>
I have a T8 lighting system with 1 actinic tube and a daylight tube. The filtration is an Ecco 2233 suitable for a 40 gallon aquarium. I also employ a protein skimmer.
<Excellent, especially for a smaller tank>
The only problem is that I purchased some sand which packs down quite a lot so I think I will need some clean-up crew like hermits but I want to keep them as small as possible. Can these tough little critters be kept with a small dwarf lionfish?
<I don't think that it would be a major problem>
Also for molting, do cleaner shrimps require extra calcium/iodine in order to successfully shed their exoskeleton? Thanks a lot. Ari
<They sure do, Ari. In my opinion, however, a well-maintained tank (in which you conduct regular water changes), you will, in most cases, not need to supplement additional iodine or calcium. In a reef tank, the situation might be different, as there are usually plenty of animals that utilize these substances. All good things to consider, and I think that you're on the right track for success. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Nano Corals?
Hello,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you tonight!>
I just setup an eclipse 12 as a desktop reef tank. Right
now, I have a flower pot coral, a little finger leather coral and tiny (1 inch) blue regal tang. I know my tank is on the small side for the tang,
<Okay...We're talking MAJOR understatement here!>
but I have a 75 gallon tank to move him into when he grows a tad bit.
<Much better...For a while, anyways...>
My question is this. 1) I live in Texas where the weather outside is consistently 100 degrees. I have my house set to 70 degrees at all times, but my tank is getting up there in temperature. Currently the temperature in the tank is 82 degrees. Is there any thing I can do to safely lower the temp? 2) I have been searching endlessly for a pc lighting kit with no prevail. I am stuck using the light that came with this unit.
<A lot of nano keepers use small desktop fans, blown directly across the water surface, to help encourage evaporative cooling...>
Are there any low light corals you would recommend? Some suggestions I have heard was most polyps and mushrooms.
<Some, but not all...Do read up on the FAQs regarding specific varieties...Many species of mushrooms would work...>
I was really wanting to get a frogspawn, but I don't know if the lighting would be suffice.
<Not just the lighting...Think about the wallop of a sting that these guys can pack, especially in the confines of a 12 gallon tank...Sweepers could be devastating to other corals and sessile inverts...>
Thanks, Paul
<I'd stay with some small mushrooms and some polyps...Read up a bit before choosing animals...So many possibilities, but you're on the right track...Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

A New Tank
<Hello! Ryan with you>
My friend just started a 20 gal reef with my old tank.  I wanted your input on stocking
-33 lbs live rock
-30 lbs aragonite sand not live (yet)
-2 pumps for circulation
1 penguin mini
Plan to get a backpack skimmer soon.<Perhaps an AquaC Remora is in the budget?>
it has a 36 watt power compact.
1 rock with green star polyps.
<Hmmm...1.8 watts/gallon is pretty low.  Please read up: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm
16 hermit crabs
10 snail
1 sally light foot crab to clean up <Overkill.  Skip the Sally lightfoot, it belongs in a bigger setup.  Try 8 hermits, 5 snails.> fish.
1 Pseudochromis purple 2"
1 maroon clown 1 1/2" <Too large, too aggressive.  Perhaps a small wrasse, goby of some sort would be a better choice.>
My friend wants to add a long nose hawk.
<OK...then certainly skip the maroon.  Only 2 fish of this size will coexist happily in 20 gallons of water.>
I know the maroon clown will get bigger will it be too big?
<see above.  With a small system, the water can pollute very quickly.  It's important to keep it under stocked, with a good amount of live rock for a balance.  Best of luck! Ryan>

Stocking a 20g.  (10-9-03)
Hi<Howdy, Cody here today.>
I have a 20g High saltwater aquarium with about 20lbs of live rock and a
5.5in deep sand bed that has been cycled for quite some time.  The tank
has lots of "pods," small tube worms and at night I can see worms just
under the top of the sand moving around.  I took your advice from the
web site and let the sand bed mature for about 6 months before adding
any livestock.  During those 6 months I have also been dosing Kalkwasser
at night and have beautiful purple, red and pink algae on the rock.<You won’t be disappointed that you waited.  This is a part of setting up a new tank many over look.  The benefits will be well worth the wait as you are already witnessing, also gives you a chance to recover from the initial start up costs J.>After reading an old Martin Moe book, I got curious and decided to
acclimate two black mollies just to see how my system would react.
Well, they have been in the tank for about a month and I have noticed
that they constantly pick at the live rock and most interesting of all,
they have this habit of scooping up large mouthfuls of sand and sifting
it through their mouth.  Any time the sand gets even the hint of brown
algae forming in a small area it is usually gone by the end of the day
from these mollies eating it? <Not sure what a mollies eating habits are but it could be they are eating it or they just sift through it and it gets  stirred up.> Also is it necessary
have a clean up crew of snails and hermit crabs? <You will probably need one in the near future and it is always best to get it before it strikes.  Limiting the amount of nutrients in your tank also helps.> Seems to me these
mollies are doing a pretty good job on their own.  In the future I'm
planning on adding some mushrooms, leather coral, some macro algae and
possibly some Zoanthus (are they really poisonous to humans?). <I have had heard of some pretty bad cases from them but I have never had a problem handling them.  It is always a good idea to wear gloves when ever you are working in the tank though.>: I do a 5% water change in the middle of the week and a 10% change at the end of
the week.  I have a ViaAqua Multiskimmer and two power heads for water
movement and 96w PC lighting.  Right now, all water parameters are "spot
on."  Thanks in advance for your opinion.<Looks like you are on the right track so far!  Good luck, Cody.>

- Livestock for a 23 Gallon Tank -
Hi,
Could you recommend some fish Suitable for a 23 gallon tank.
Regards A.D.M
<I do hope you mean saltwater ;-) I'd pick three, perhaps four fish maximum that are generally peaceful and stay small. Perhaps an ocellaris clown or two, a neon goby or two, and perhaps a Royal Gramma.
Cheers, J -- >

- Euphyllia in a 20-gallon Mini-Reef? -
Hi folks! I just started reading WWM a few months ago, and I've decided to set up a mini-reef tank. Here's my setup so far (it's been going for about 2 months):
Standard Top Fin 20 gallon tank
96w Aqualight PC hood (2 10,000K and 2 Actinic) < I wasn't aware that they made a 4 lamp 96w Aqualight, are you sure it's not just a 2 lamp unit? Power compact lamps at first look like a double lamp, but they're simply one long thin tube bent in half w/ pins on only one end.>
HOB filter with floss and carbon
25lbs live rock
~18lbs "live" (wet-bagged) sugar-fine aragonite sand <I personally love this stuff, nothing worse than the classic week-long cloud from un-washed sugar-fine aragonite!>
Yellowtail Damsel
3" Bubbletip Anemone
Cleaner shrimp
Emerald Crab
2 x Astraea Snails <Wow, somebody finally spells Astraea right!!! You win... well... nothing, but cool nonetheless!>
Various small hitchhikers
PH 8.2
Alk "Med-High" (according to test kit) <Sounds like you need a new kit, get one that gives you readings in Alk or dKH.>
Temp 80 degrees
Calcium 450
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.1
Weekly 10% water changes, monthly carbon changes <If you run carbon monthly, only leave it in for a few days (a week at most). It absorbs and adsorbs just about all it can in short order and can re-release...>, trace elements and iodine additives, small amount of reef builder in top-off water (trying to get that coralline to grow). :)
Anyway, after much deliberation and research I've decided to trade in the BTA for some kind of centerpiece coral. I've got a 2.5" Yellowstripe maroon clownfish in my quarantine tank right now, itching to get in the main tank (not literally, thank goodness). I'm considering getting some kind of Euphylliid, probably a hammer coral since there is a beautiful 4" or so specimen at my LFS (Pet Kingdom here in San Diego) and I'm hoping my clown will host with it. <It might, although it's almost guaranteed to pair up with your BTA> I'm also planning on adding a Skilter 250 with air stone within the next week or so and turning the HOB filter into a mini-refugium. <Eh, even with the air stone, the Skilter would still be a bit cheesy. How 'bout a Seaclone (gasp!) or even an AquaC remora run by a Rio 800 instead of the MaxiJet?> Will a hammer coral or frogspawn do ok in a 20-gallon tank?  <Sure, go with a frogspawn so you can break parts off if it gets too big, this is very risky with a hammer of the classic growth form.> Also, what other types of corals would you recommend, and how far should they be from the Euphylliid? <Hehe, you'd be surprised how long the sweeper tentacles can get. I'd wait to see exactly how bad they are before choosing a neighboring coral...> I was thinking some zoos, mushrooms, and maybe some yellow or green star polyps. Or... would I be better off with a finger leather for the centerpiece? <That's up to you, a leather coral would be a less aggressive centerpiece though.> I know they're easier to take care of, but I feel confident that I can care for the hammer coral, if the tank size is acceptable. <It's fine, just plan ahead for growth.> I also plan on upgrading to a 50-75 gallon tank within a year, to account for growth and so I can get more fish and corals, maybe start trying to breed maroon clowns. :) <Excellent, have you purchased Joyce Wilkerson's clownfish book yet?>
Anyway, thanks for putting together such a great website! It's like having a second, much smarter brain! <Haha, I wish! -Kevin>
Jarin

Choosing a fish
Any suggestions for a small marine fish to go in a 10 gal nanoreef? I want something unique and interesting but don't want a goby or clown. any ideas?<small damselfish, this is really a small aquarium, not many choices here, good luck, IanB>
James

Micro-Acropora Reef Possibilities?
Hey Everybody, :)
<Hello!>
I've been toying around with the idea of setting up a micro-reef in a spare 5.5 gallon tank I've had laying around for awhile.  I had a very successful set up for about a year with a 5.5 gallon tank housing a single blue damsel, a Firefish dart goby, some mushrooms and a bunch of Halimeda that I harvested regularly for nutrient export.  I was surprised at the diversity in such a small system, in the likes of sponges, worms, amphipods, snails, small brittle stars, etc.  I eventually tore the system down and moved the Firefish to my main 75 gallon mixed reef and sold the damsel back to the LFS.  The tank has been laying idle for awhile (after a brief stint as a freshwater fancy tailed guppy tank on my desk) and I have decided to finally try another micro-reef.  My LFS has a small compact fluorescent fixture for 5.5 gallon hoods that is 10 watts at 6500K (comparable to 30 or something like that in incandescent lighting) which I was thinking about getting two of.  I would use a fairly thick 3 maybe 4 inches of sugar sized
aragonite sand, with some live rock to cycle it.  Adding a small power head or two aimed at the front glass panel for random diffused currents and possibly a small skimmer/filter contraption or something else for additional filtration.  I was wondering if it would be possible to house a few small frags of Acropora in the tank.  I know they are very difficult to house and I was wondering what your input would be on this idea.  What problems would you foresee?  
<I guess I don't need to preach to you about the difficulties of micro marine tanks. I even had trouble with a 5 gallon freshwater tank! I can only speak for myself on this one...but this would be a difficult challenge. All of the problems inherent with keeping Acro in large tanks will be magnified...everything from water chemistry to salinity to temperature, Alk, calcium, etc., will be compounded in a tank this small. Large reef tanks can crash fairly easily if good husbandry is not followed daily/weekly. In a 5.5 gallon tank?...I don't even want to think about what could happen while you are on a 1 or two week vacation...>  
What variations to my plan would you suggest?  
<Honestly? A larger tank...>
Any advice from the experts would be very welcome.  
<I'm not an expert on Acros...But I do see a lot of difficulties with a micro system that holds delicate corals like Acros. This will be much different than the Halimeda, mushrooms, etc. that you kept in the old tank>
Thank you guys so much in advance and keep up with the excellent work.  :)
<Thanks my friend! I invite you to not necessarily accept my opinion but research through other literature/websites and decide if this is a gamble that you want to take. You're going to be climbing a tall mountain...>
Sincerely, Dan
<Best of luck! David Dowless>

Nano Reef
Hey David :)
<Hello again!>
Thanks for your honest reply.  It seems you're echoing the same thoughts going through my head about the problem of tank size.  What do you think the minimum set-up would be to keep a relatively small tank stocked with some Acropora frags?  
<My friend...anything will be an improvement over 5.5 gallons>
I have a small terrarium (false bottom set up with small power head forcing water from the dead space below into a piece of cork tube that looks like a tree and some moss and a few small tropical plants) on one side of my desk and would like to put a small comparable in proportion saltwater tank on the other side.  A 5.5 gallon would fit perfectly on the right and match the terrarium in size, but like you mentioned, the size is one of the greatest problems in and of itself.  I was just wondering what your thoughts might be on the minimum size should use.  
<Well...A 10 gallon tank would be twice as large as a 5.5 gallon...Geez...That's really a small, small, minimum>
Oh, and my terrarium was a freshwater tank for three years before I converted it this past summer.  It housed a Betta, some feeder guppies I allowed to reproduce to feed the Betta, some freshwater mussels I harvested locally from a river, for a short while a blue crayfish (until he was moved to his own tank a few months later and ultimately traded back to the LFS), and a LOT of Java moss.  That stuff grows so fast that it does an excellent job of nutrient uptake and eventual removal, just like a refugium on a salt tank.  And, you can trade it in at the LFS for some credit towards other
gadgets and critters, usually.  
<I've had that experience with Caulerpa and Halimeda. It is nice>
:)  The best part of the tank was the Java moss itself, since when left nearly undisturbed for a good while between harvests, it formed what looked like fern covered hills in the tank with such a small scale.  That, coupled with the fish swimming around them, it was quite a sight.  
<I'll better it was... Sounds great!>
Anyway, a small freshwater tank has proven to be very easy as long as I use plenty of Java moss, and a small normal saltwater tank was also fairly easy as long as I kept plenty of Halimeda.  So, perhaps I should try another form of nutrient export if I give this venture a go.  
<Hmmmmm...It seems that you are planning to fit a particular area on a desk...with dimensions that fit the 5.5 g? That's what makes this hard. If you had room, I would suggest buying a long tank that isn't very deep...Then you wouldn't need really strong lights. Tank depth is a lot of what sucks the life out of lights. A 10 gallon would be better than a 5.5 but...I've had experiences with 10 gallon quarantine tanks...They're still too small for me...Water chemistry, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, and top-off just change too fast. Okay...I'm going in circles here. A 10 is more stable than a 5.5, a 20 is even more stable, 55 even better. Let me hasten to add that since you seem to know what you're getting into...maybe with a lot of diligence, a 5.5 might work...Who knows? Many people that try these things don't know the odds they are up against and that is their main problem. What you are proposing won't be easy. You'll notice that I didn't say it was impossible. Success in this hobby is determined when critters live for years and that is hopefully your goal. At some point you will need a bigger tank if everything survives and thrives long term>  
Any ways, I'd best be going now and I hope you have better luck next time with a smaller freshwater tank and let me know what you think about the size of the tank for the Acros.  :)
<Thanks for the encouragement! Believe me...I have a 100 gallon reef and it's just about all the work I can handle...HA!>
Thanks again,
<You're most welcome! David Dowless>
Dan

Marine Set-Up
Hello, I have a question about lighting.
<Will try to help- Scott F. here tonight>
I have a 20 G mini-reef tank (with a 10 G miracle mud sump) that has 2 55 W power compact bulbs (50/50).  I have several sp of mushrooms (most which have reproduced), some star polyps and buttons polyps, a Condylactis, a Mespilia sea urchin, a few shrimp/crabs, and a pygmy angel, Firefish, neon goby, and a "rusty" goby.  I am going to be moving this reef into a 29 G tank with a 20 gallon miracle mud sump.  I hope to add an Entacmaea quadricolor anemone to host a pair of False Percula clowns.
<I'd have to tell you right off the bat that this is a bad idea. I really don't advise mixing two species of anemones in a tank, especially a relatively small system like this. All sorts of problems can occur that could end in the death of both specimens. Stick with one or the other and they'll be much better off!>
I have the opportunity to put 3 24" VHO lights on the 29 G.  Per my calculations this would produce 225 Watts of light.  Would this be too much?  Would it be better to just add one more 55 W power compact?
<Well, I don't think it would be too much, per se- but there will be some acclimation issues for your mushrooms, which may be used to the lower light levels that you currently have. Any changes in lighting regimens in reef systems should involve careful consideration for the placement of the animals and their proximity to the new lighting. Do read the excellent article on the subject by Anthony Calfo on the WetWebMedia.com site>
Finally, what is your experience with protein skimming and the miracle mud sumps?  I have read that you should not do it and to date have not.
<I have seen quite a few "mud" systems run with skimmers, and, quite frankly, if it were me- I'd rather have the skimmer than not.>
Thanks for you help.
Steve Thornton MD
P.S. What is the smallest clownfish (adult size) regularly available in stores?
<I'd say the A. Percula is generally the smallest of the common Clownfishes, topping off at about 2 1/2 inches>

Stocking a twenty long
I sent an e-mail to Kent tech support asking about the reason for the drop and other ingredients besides ascorbic acid.  I will forward the reply whenever I receive it.  Until then, I hope it's okay if I ask a couple of questions about my own tank (the whole reason I was on your site to begin with; I need to be shot for lending out my copy of TCMA ;)).  It is a 20 gal
long nano-reef that has been up and running for over two years.  Recently, we had some things happen and basically ignored the tank for 2 months.
<Oh...>
Between evaporation and Caulerpa die-off, I had a mess when I finally cleaned it up last week and we lost all inhabitants (BTA we've had for nine months, maroon clown, 3 hermits, couple of snails) except for a couple of hermits.  However, everything seems to be stable now and we are planning on restocking the tank after the holidays over a course of 2-4 months.  This will have given the tank 3 weeks or so to sit fallow (all water qualities are stable now) just to be safe.  Here are the tank stats: Prizm skimmer, Rio powerhead (the total per hour turn over is ~13x so we will probably add another ph), JBJ compact fluorescent hood (1 65-watt actinic blue and 1 65-watt daylight), 30+ lbs. of well-seasoned LR, 2.5" LS bed, Amm: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: near 0, Temp: 81 in winter, 82 in summer, Alk: 10 dKH, Calc: 340 ppm (going up), and pH: 8.2.
I would like your opinion on stocking the tank.  Here is what I would eventually like to have once the calcium level has stabilized around 450 ppm (all sessile inverts will be purchased at 3" or less and traded in as they grow too large): 2-3" of fish (I want a pair of Carpenter's wrasses,
<A bit too "jumpy" for such a small volume>
neon gobies, or Catalina gobies
<Not Lythrypnus... a coldwater species. Will attach article here>
and my fiancé wants a Firefish, so we'll see what we end up with), 6 blue-legged hermits, 6 snails (turbo, margarita, or Nerites), 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 cultured squamosa or derasa clam,
<In a twenty? I wouldn't do this>
1 star polyp , 1-2 corallimorphs, 1 Alcyoniidae or Nephtheidae, 1-2 feather dusters or Christmas tree worms, 1 Faviidae, and 1 small bunch of Halimeda (maybe).
I realize this is probably too much; what do you think is most likely to cause problems or will simply not thrive in this set up?
<What I have listed to leave out, I would. Bob Fenner>
Thank you so much for your time and expertise. Laura Lawrence

Candy Coral
I probably should have given you a more detailed description about this little guy.
<A picture would be nice.>
He as approximately 5 almost invisible "fingers", 3/16" long, that comes out of a tiny hole from this one polyp. The hole is off to the side so I know it is not a natural orifice, although this hole looks "healed" and has somewhat of a ridge around the opening, like it's been in existence for awhile. This tiny "hand" pops up out of his hole and twirls around gathering food and then pops back into it's hole and does this repeatedly, usually in the evening. My main concern is whether this thing will multiply and cause trouble with either another polyp or spread to another coral.
<Both of these are possible.>
All of this is going on in a 5 gallon nano reef that has been set up for two years, although the coral have been recent additions, which includes a hammer coral, another unidentified LPS, a tree coral (placed as far away from the LPS as it could get), assorted button polyps, both a red and a blue hermit crab, two peppermint shrimp, a tube anemone, a lime green feather duster and is packed with as much live rock and live sand as I could cram into this 5 gallon, maintained by a 6 watt blue PC and a 27 watt 6700K Ultra-Daylight Linear Quad turned on by a timer for 10 hours a day, water temperature runs around 78 degrees at night and goes up to 80 degrees during the day due to the PC lighting. I have a Whisper 5-15 filter hanging on the back which gets changed every couple weeks. A lot of work has gone into maintaining this reef tank and I would hate to see this little kingdom destroyed by an unwelcome predator.
<This is likely a commensal relationship.>
Can I include another question while I'm at this?
<Sure>
I originally inherited this set-up from my daughter who lost interest and it was overwhelmed with Aiptasia, which was the reason for the two peppermint shrimp. Now that the Aiptasia are all gone, what do I feed the peppermint shrimp?
<They will eat just about anything.>
Since they devoured about 30 small Aiptasia I have been feeding them and the tube anemone small chopped up pieces of a frozen food called "Angel Formula" manufactured by Ocean Nutrition. Oddly enough, it has turned the peppermint shrimp a dark orange. I have been feeding the coral "Micro Vert" manufactured by Kent.
<Please check the ingredients and see if anything listed is truly needed.>
All of the rock now has purple coralline algae growing on it, with numerous red and green macro algae growing everywhere, including a healthy piece of Halimeda growing so fast I have to harvest it regularly.
<A very good sign>
I also harvested most of the bubble Caulerpa, it looked so healthy I was afraid it would go asexual. I make weekly water changes of 1 gallon to maintain the water balance. Any advice or changes you could offer regarding this setup would be greatly appreciated.
<Everything sounds fine to me.>
I certainly appreciate your opinion and any more information you could give me, or direct me to, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
<It seems like you are ok, if not a bit crowded. Now that you are successful, maybe think about a larger set up. -Steven Pro>

Mis-stocked mini-reef
Hi, Mr. Fenner.  I need some advice, or direction.  I have a small 10 gallon reef setup. About 7 lbs of live rock, one flower pot coral,
<Not a good choice>
2 anemones,
<Ditto>
2 peppermint shrimp
<Good>
and a flame scallop
<Another poor choice>
I cannot keep any fish alive in it for the life of me, but the corals and inverts are flourishing.
I don't know what the problem is.  I love clownfish. I recently put two small Perculas in it. They were healthy for about 3 days, swimming in the
carpet anemone, then suddenly they start losing color, and dead.
<Clowns need more space>
That happened the last time I put fish in it.  I do frequent water changes, and add this chem clean stuff that helps against bacteria,
<I'd leave that stuff out>
and my salinity is good.  It is just making me crazy that I cant keep any fish alive, and everything else is doing just fine.  I don't think I am going to put in anymore fish
<Good choice>
but I was thinking about a seahorse or two, w/ more corals.
<Order the Ocean Rider seahorses. They are tank spawned and tank raised. This will tremendously increase your chance of success without damaging wild populations>
<<A note. Do first remove the anemones if you're going to try the seahorses. RMF>>
Any suggestions.
<Skip the fish. The tank isn't large enough>
Thanks in advance for your help.
Doughy
<You're more than welcome! David Dowless>

Plants and/or fish for a small marine tank
Hey Ananda,
<Hey yourself....>
Thanks for your response concerning my 35 gallon tank with live rock and 2 black damsels.
Here are all the details I should have filled in with my first email:
the damsels look just like the one on this page (which they call a black damsel or yellow-back or royal...)
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm cls=16&cat=1844&articleid=2026
<Hmmm. You did read this, note its "one black damsel per tank" suggestion? And that the suggested minimum tank size is 55 gallons? Also, that is based on a maximum size of 5" -- but www.fishbase.org data is that they grow to 7". Having two of them in a smaller tank is not a great idea, to put it mildly. I would suggest a significantly larger tank -- well over 100 gallons -- should you keep one of these for any length of time.>
I am not solely relying on live rock for filtration. My tank also has an Eheim Classic 2213 biofilter and a Powerhead 301 for circulation.
<Canisters are generally not favored for saltwater systems...the Eheim you have, being rated for 66 gallons of freshwater, is not really sufficient for your saltwater tank. I would really suggest more live rock. It will also help with your aquascaping, providing something for your macro-algae to grow on.>
The lights (Life-Glo and Marine-Glo) are both 30 watts and are 36 inches long.
<If you are not doing corals (which your damsels may eat), the actinic Marine-Glo is less useful. Your Life-Glo has a lot of green. If you switch the Marine-Glo to an Aqua-Glo, you'll balance that green light and still have enough blue light, as the Aqua-Glo has a nice spike in the actinic range. (Check Hagen's web site for details.) I have an Aqua-Glo over my planted freshwater tank and like the color it adds to the full-spectrum bulb I also use.>
The "gravel" in the tank is aragonite (which presumably is not at all live sand).
<Aragonite is good, and will become live eventually if you have good live rock.>
The idea of a clownfish and/or Dottyback is great.
<Personally, I would suggest no more than three or possibly four fish for a 35 gallon tank, and that's presuming you have a skimmer. Without a skimmer, I would stick to two fish.>
I'll be looking into these. I also don't have a skimmer yet but will look into that as well.
<It will help with water quality.>
Any thoughts on a couple of plants that would do well in a tank like this? I'll be reading up about it but some suggestions would let me know if I'm on the right track. I'm worried about maintaining sufficient lighting and nutrients for the plants to grow.
<Many types of macro algae will grow in your setup. Nutrients will be provided by your fish, though you may want to use some iron supplementation once the macro algae is established.>
thanks,
Derek
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Stocking 12 gallon nano
Thank you for all your help, but what would you recommend as some good starter reef fish? (I have a 12 gal. tank and I'm looking to fit the most fish possible into it.)
<A 12 gallon is very small, this will limit your choices because of size and stability. Please check out marine stocking at WetWebMedia.com.  Make sure you under stock your small reef. Also be mindful of the fish' habits and the corals you wish to keep.  Have fun!  Craig>

Small Marine Aquarium
[question sent in two parts]
{part1}
I was wondering if I could fit a few sea anemones and a few Percula clown fish in a 12 gal. tank?
<if you are an experienced aquarist and can provide a stable environment, two hardy A. ocellaris clowns in a 12 gallon tank with live rock would likely work. The anemone will not be possible (or at least responsible) in there under almost any circumstance (lighting, water quality issues, etc)>
{Part 2}
......along with some other reef fish.
<Hmmm... this follow-up to your first question makes be wonder if you are inexperienced and new, or just joking with us. It would not be possible to add 2 clowns, and anemone and "some other" fishes to a 12 gallon tank for the size of the vessel (barely big enough for 2 clowns and a few invertebrate shrimps, polyps, etc. Assuming that you fit the former category, let me suggest that you please get a good reference book before buying a single thing. Start with Mike Paletta's New Marine Aquarium book and then follow that by reading Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Also, look for a local marine society in your area. They are wonderful places to network for great fellowship and information. Best regards, Anthony>

- Starter Reef Fish -
thank you for all your help, but what would you recommend as some good starter reef fish? (I have a 12 gal. tank and I'm looking to fit the most fish possible into it.)
Thanks
<Greetings, JasonC here. I must say, you don't really have a lot of options with a tank of this size. Likewise, your stated desire to "fit the most fish possible" will lead you to more frustration that you may want. If you want to enjoy this tank for any amount of time, please consider stocking it with only one or two fish or perhaps one fish and one cleaner shrimp. I would consider a Royal Gramma or perhaps a Neon Goby but not much more than that. Marine system don't need to be complicated, but the smaller they are, the quicker things can spin out of control. Likewise, if you haven't already, please read through the WetWebMedia site as there are many, many articles on the various fish you would want to keep and how to keep them. Cheers, J -- >

29 Gallon Small Reef
Hi!  
<Hello! Ananda here, answering the small reef questions...>
I set up my first saltwater tank last September (after several freshwater endeavors, two of which are still thriving) and have found your website to be very helpful in the care and maintenance of my aquatic friends.  I work at a petstore and frequently direct my customers to your website and books due to the amount of good information I've been able to glean.  
<Thanks! Glad we can help.>
My latest tank is a 29 gallon small reef tank.  The system is lit by a 110 watt pc unit (1 bulb 6400K, the other actinic 03) and contains 35 lbs of liverock, 20 lbs of live sand and 15 lbs of a slightly larger grade aragonite.  I have an Aqua-C remora protein skimmer with a surface skim box and bubble reducer and an Aquafuge refugium (approx 2.5 gallons) lit by a 13-watt 50/50 PC.  There is also a penguin 170 for mechanical filtration.  Two sponge-filter equipped penguin powerheads provide 320 gph of circulation with the protein skimmer, filter and refugium adding to the flow as well.  
<Very nice setup, very similar to the one I'm planning.>
Right now the tank has a red hermit (not sure of species, but it's not the large variety), a 6 blue hermit crabs, one Ocellaris clown and a small Bubble Tip Anemone (located on an isolated stand of rock to prevent movement around the tank).
<Ack! I'm not a fan of keeping anemones in tanks this small or this new. And I suspect the anemone might still be able to move around. Read here, and follow the links to related articles: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
My eventual plan is to maintain a few soft corals in the tank along with a single Mandarin, the Ocellaris and the small cleanup crew.
<Please skip the mandarin! Your tank is not large enough, even with the refugium, to sustain a sufficient pod population for a mandarin. Please use the WWM search tool and read the mandarin pages (there are several).>
The refugium is aimed at sustaining colonies copepods and amphipods (which abounded in the smaller tank (a 10 gallon micro-tank w/ a twin lamp eclipse hood and regular harvesting of macroalgae as nutrient export that this is an upgrade for).  
<I am also upgrading from a 10 gallon nano.>
Now the questions.  What are some hardy soft corals that would work in this setup?
<I have a Sinularia dura aka flower/cabbage leather that has tripled in size in less than a year (in the 10 gallon tank). Green star polyps work well, as do zoanthids and most types of mushrooms. Come to think of it, most photosynthetic soft corals should be "relatively hardy". Just avoid the non-photosynthetic varieties.>
In addition, are there any other small fish that may work in this setup?
<Yes, several. Smaller gobies, some of the Dottybacks, blennies, grammas, *some* of the small wrasses... a much bigger selection compared to a 10 gallon tank.>
And, would it be ok to not run the Penguin all of the time and instead use it as a mechanical filter during water changes or other events that might disturb the sand bed and cause debris to enter the water column?
<I would suggest that you keep it running, with carbon. Your softies are going to wage some chemical warfare, and the carbon will help alleviate this.>
Let me know what you think and any comments/suggestions!  Thank you very much for your time and all of the helpful advice in your publications!
-Christopher Fulkerson
<You're quite welcome. Do wander over to http://www.nano-reef.com and its forums. The people there specialize in smaller tanks (generally less than 30 gallons). I have learned a lot from them. --Ananda>

Reef tank
Hello.
I currently have a 10 gallon reef tank with live rock, 2 small hermit crabs and a yellow tail damsel, my question  would I be able to put soft corals- anemones in the tank? I was told she would eat the soft creatures, is this true? can you suggest any other creatures that would be compatible with my damsel fish?
<I am not aware of yellow tail damsels eating corals. You make no mention of lighting. I would stay on the low light/hardy scale with a mushroom, Ricordea, or maybe a polyp of some kind. I would stay away from anemones. A cleaner shrimp would be an interesting addition. I would stay away from any other fish because of the tank size and aggressiveness of the damsel. Hope this helps. Don>
Thanks, Dan

Marine reef tank
Hello WWM Crew,
< You got Cody today!>
Well how shall I start.. I have a 29 gallon aquarium which has been lying around and I have looked into setting up a marine reef/fish setup in the 29 gallon.. what I wanted to know was what a re some good marine fish to keep with corals and that would work in a small (29 gallon) tank... pls help.  <Some of my favorite are royal grammas, Firefish, Dottybacks, and neon gobies.  There are many choices though and they can be found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
Cody>

12 g system
The system I got is 12 g with a built in wet dry filter and Clear for life venturi protein skimmer with 27 watts 6700 K and 9 watts 7100K lighting. Is the tank lighting good enough for my stocking plan and do I have enough space for these invertebrates:
Emerald Crab x2, Red Leg/Left Handed Hermit x9, Scarlet Reef Hermit x6, Bubble Tip Anemone, Harlequin Shrimp x2, Bumble Bee Scavenger Snail x3, Burrowing Cerith Snail x3, Anemone Shrimp, Dancing Anemone Shrimp, Anemone Crab, Yellow Polyps, Button Polyps - Colored, Feather Duster - Pink and White, Breadcrumb Sponge
<Of the above, I can only recommend the following;
2-3 Scarlet Reef Hermits, 2-3 Bumble Bee Scavenger Snails, 2-3 Burrowing Cerith Snails, Yellow Polyps, and Colored Button Polyps
I would leave out the rest. I will give you a few more suggestions, though. 2-3 Astrea Snails, 2-3 Turban Snails, a Cleaner Shrimp or 2 Peppermint Shrimp and Various Colored Mushroom Anemones.>

Hey - Setting Up Mini Reef, Seahorses and Cnidarians... Ughh
Hey Bob,
<Anthony Calfo in your service>
I am looking into setting up another Marine set up in a 20 gallon tank I had used for sea horses. (I was looking to get back into freshwater but after 3 years in the marine world the fish just don't appeal to me like they used to) So far I plan to have a normal 20 gallon glass tank, a Prizm protein skimmer, 
<do consider upgrading the skimmer... Euro-reefs are quite effective, and lest anyone think I am a strong proponent of this specific brand that I recommend so often...my first choice is a Tunze>
40 lbs of live sand, and live rock. For lighting I am going to use 110 watts of PCs. 
<hopefully you'll be growing seagrass for the seahorses under this nice light, otherwise too bright long term for them without diffusing it>
I plan to keep a pair of seahorses from Ocean Rider, and possibly one of the following: a mandarin, a 6 line wrasse, or a pair Percula clowns.
<the latter two species just would not be responsible... their activity will out-compete the seahorses for food even without aggression (which you may very well expect from the feisty six0line)... the mandarinfish...I just don't even want to go down that road <G>>
The only way I would buy a mandarin is if I could fine one at the LFS that was already eating frozen Mysis shrimp to the sea horses. I know that it is hard to find one that accepts food but hopefully I will have some luck. 
<no comment on another mandarinfish likely to die within months (I guess that was a comment...hehe)>
I have also read that the 6 line wrasse will eat frozen Mysis and I have seen a 20 gallon tank with sea horses and the wrasse in it. 
<even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes>
The clowns would be the third option if the other two did not work out. 
<how about some more appropriately slow and passive fish like Firefish?>
I also want to try my hand at some easy corals and possibly a clam. 
<unnatural for seahorses and mandarins from their seagrass habitat. They are stung and killed by anemones and coral more often than any other fishes in captivity because of this unfamiliar exposure to stinging cnidarians. The clams are OK, however>
Could you suggest some corals that would live on my 110 watts of light and would want a low to medium current? 
<plenty, but none with seahorses>
This time around I am going to use patience to my advantage and hopefully this system will not end up how the last system housed in this tank did. Thank You, Jonathan Pac
<kind regards, Jonathan... Anthony Calfo>

25 gallon reef
Bob,
<Anthony Calfo in his stead, Ari>
What a site! For a beginner (I'm on my second tank) this is Heaven-sent. Thanks.
<thank, you!> My question is relatively basic. I have just purchased a 25 gallon reef tank -- equipped with everything I need. In Chicago we have a great shop called Old Town Aquarium that is very customer service oriented,
<huge and famous!>
so that's the first step. My question, however, is about which kinds of fish I can put into my reef tank once it has matured and the inverts and [some hardy] corals are thriving. Believe me ... I'm through the trigger and eel phase, but I'm still enamored by the fish themselves and would like to have a tank with some good fish (maybe 2). I know that gobies and blennies are good, just as Royal Gramma are, but do you have any suggestions outside of these? Any would be great.
< a shoal of Firefish (royal/queen sp if funds allow), or cardinal fish would be great...very peaceful and small. Also, Blue reef Chromis (Blue with black stripe...not the blue/green pacific sp)>
I heard that I cannot have one of my favorites
-- long nosed hawk fish -- because of its appetite. 
<pretty frisky, and may harass snails and shrimp. Probably OK though>
Thanks for your time and assistance. Best Regards, Ari Klein
<do look into joining a good local aquarium society like CMAS/Chicagoland. Also. there is a good marine conference in Chicago in 2003 to look forward to (www.theimac.org). And on March 23rd of this year, The Midwest Marine Conference as well with four speakers including myself and Eric Borneman (www.masm.org, follow link for conference). Anthony>

Nano Marine Systems and Sand Beds
Hi WWM Guys,
<Steve Pro in this morning.>
I'm planning on converting my show tank to LR, DSB and sump/Refugium
filtration with a Protein Skimmer. I would like to experiment first with a 10G setup.
<Ok, but everything is far less stable in small aquaria and not always a good example if things do not work out well.>
My current QT, is 10G with UG filtration. I plan switching to a
Rubbermaid container with sponge filter that is run in the sump of my show tank (once I add the sump).
Anyway for this 10G tank, I was thinking of a 4" DSB and no less than 10lbs of LR.. I plan on having 1 false Percula and maybe an anemone for it. (I can't remember if they live around anemone's or not).. 
<Ocellaris clownfish, as well as all clownfish and several damsels, are associated with anemones, but I cannot recommend an anemone in such a small tank.>
Finally one or two hermit crabs.
<I prefer the scarlet reef hermits.>
I don't plan on having a skimmer or other filtration. An air
pump and stone for aeration and one or 2 Rio 50 or 90 PHs, for wave
action. Do you think the bioload will be low enough to have just natural filtration?
<One fish in a ten should be ok.>
Thanks, Glenn
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Ten Gallon Nano Stocking Level
Hello Bob,
<Steven Pro this morning.>
I enjoy reading your column. I find it very helpful and
informative. My question is regarding a ten gallon nano tank that I
started up five weeks ago. I would like to know if I can safely keep
the following animals in it. I currently have:
2 True Perculas
1 Watchman Goby
1 Dragonet (pinkish in color)
<The key word above is "safely". I would not recommend keeping anymore than two fish in a ten gallon tank safely.>
1 Bubble Tip Anemone
<And I do not recommend people get host anemones unless they are willing to work hard to provide the utmost of care for those challenging animals. A ten gallon is just not large enough.>
2 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Blue Legged Hermits
6 Small Red Hermits
10 Astrea Snails
1 Sand Stirring Starfish (beige and brown in color)
<I would remove this guy. He will surely starve in time in such a small tank.>
18 lbs of live rock
2 inches of crushed coarse coral
Remora Protein Skimmer (Berlin Method)
1 Rio 90 Power Head
1 Rio 180 Power Head
10 Gallon Via Aqua Tank
1 32 Watt 50/50 Smartlight
1 18 Watt 50/50 Light
Yesterday in my LFS, I learned that my Dragonet eats only Copepods. I'm
fearful that this one will eventually run out of food.
<Yes, he will if he hasn't already.>
I'm planning to return the Dragonet and possibly replace it with another fish.
<See above note. Just return, do not replace.>
What kind of fish do you think would be a good fit with the Goby and
Perculas? I'm thinking of adding a second Goby, but I'm not sure if
this is a good idea. I have the Maxi Jet 1200 on the Remora so I have
plenty of skimming, water flow and live rock filtration going on. Am I
pushing my luck if I keep 2 Percs and 2 Gobies? Would I be better off
in the long run if I just kept 2 Percs and the Watchman Goby?
<Yes>
What would be best to feed the Anemone and how often? It doesn't like
Krill much, but seems to like Silversides.
<Please read this article to see what is required of you to successfully house these creatures, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Will the Goby be okay eating formula1 and frozen brine shrimp?
Brine shrimp is not a great food. Try finding some Mysis instead. The Formula I is fine.>
I'm new to the hobby so any advice you can give me would be very helpful
for me. Thank you very much for your advice.
<My best advise is to get Bob's book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and read it.>
Sincerely, Scott D.
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

C. argi or C. acanthops in a Nano
Bob:
<Steven Pro answering questions at the moment.>
I am new to salt water and have set up a 10 gallon nano-reef that is
thriving (at the moment). I would love to add a C. argi or C. acanthops to this system (though I realize already that it is very small); the LFS has one of each that are only about 2.5 cm long and of course I am considering moving my little reef to a bigger tank (or simply starting another reef in a bigger tank where the fish could be moved). In general, is one of these species better for a reef tank than the other in terms of personality, aggressiveness, hardiness, or anything else?
<They should be about the same. A bit of a roll of the dice as to whether either will eat any inverts you care about. Could only be recommended for your ten gallon tank as the only fish. -Steven Pro
Thanks, Steve

Tank capacity and other things, An Addition to a 30
Hi Bob, How are things?
<Steven Pro in this morning doing pretty well.>
I wrote to you a while back about some weird stuff happening with my tank (ich and my six-line wrasse), but now all is fine. I now have a
pair of ocellaris clowns which I think are bonding into a pair (not 100% sure)...but they used to be exactly the same size a few months ago, now one is a lot bigger, a lot lighter, and more aggressive. The
good thing is, they are not overly aggressive towards each other and follow each other around *everywhere*, rarely are they apart.
<Yes, sounds like they have pair bonded, quite normal with clownfish.>
I also have a new six-line which is doing very well and a royal Gramma. None of the 4 fish are over an inch and a half yet, though I
know they all can get much bigger.
This is a 30 gallon tank (I know, small!), but I want to add perhaps a butterfly and/or a pygmy angel. Am I already at the limit or would 1 or 2 more fish be too much?
<Definitely no more than one small fish. All of the Butterflyfish would be too large. One of the Cherub pygmy angelfish would be ok.>
Eventually I will spring for a much larger tank, but for now I'm quite happy with it! The best part I think is that the 4 fish get along without any harassment, like a family with zero aggression!
Thanks for chattin'! -Jack
<Talk to you later. -Steven Pro>

Thank You, Invert ?s
Hey,
<what?>
Thank you for your help. 
<you're welcome...now what do you want?! Heehee <smile>>
I have decided to stick with the Sixline wrasse for my setup. I do have a question about inverts. in my tank. I will have 2X55 10000K PC lighting over my setup (20 gallon). I have never kept or tried any kind or corals. Do you think this will be enough light and could you suggest some corals that would be good for a beginner? 
<plenty of light for many corals and invertebrates. Trust me on this one... I have a lot of experience with the subject <wink>...avoid all LPS hard corals (many reasons...aggression, wild populations, sensitivity to handling by newbie, etc). Also resist most SPS and hard coral in general until you have a clear understanding of the difference between pH, Alkalinity and Calcium... and how to test and control/maintain these levels consistently. Instead... enjoy most soft corals, corallimorphs (mushrooms) and Zoanthids (button polyps). Because of the size of your tank... you can easily find some attractive creatures from these groups and be assured of success>
Also, would an Anemone be possible for the clowns and would any of the clams work?
<not even close to being possible. Anemones an corals absolutely don't mix...especially in a small tank. They are also relatively to very difficult to keep successfully for most people. Never for beginners. And the hardy clams that will tolerate a new tank and lower light grow too big (T. squamosa and T. derasa grow to 18-24"). The blue clams need quite a lot of light for long term success. Trust me... stick with soft corals only and you will do wonderfully as you make your way up to bigger reefs <wink>. Not a matter of if, but rather when...heehee! With kind regards... Anthony>
Thanks,
Jonathan Pac

Help needed! (Tale of incredible crowding, livestock mixing, attempted in a much larger system)
Dear Bob,
<Actually, Steven Pro this night.>
It has been over a year since we last talked. I needed some help with my shark and you were wonderful. I now have a huge, totally different problem I need you to help me with. I just moved from NY to Annapolis, MD. I rented a house here, and I asked the owner if I could move my 300 gallon aquarium in the house. He told me there was no problem at all and that actually I could keep his little 12 gallon desktop aquarium and that he was leaving the little aquarium and his inhabitants for me in the house when I move in.
<Wow, how nice!>
I was quite happy to keep it and actually didn't even ask him what kind of fish he had in there, since it was such a small aquarium. To my surprise, I moved into the house yesterday and found the little aquarium to have not only a few inhabitants, but it's totally overcrowded! There are species in there I've never dealt with and some species I have of my own. I'm giving you the list of what's in the aquarium, but beware, you will not like the news!
<I will brace myself.>
The aquarium is one of those Tenecor desktop, reef ready aquariums. It has:
-12 gallon acrylic Uniquarium with built in Wet/Dry filter
-Clear-for-Life Protein Skimmer - specially designed for the Uniquarium, it is placed in the provided chamber at the back of the tank where it is completely out of sight.
-Air Pump and tubing (to operate skimmer)
-Power Compact Reef Lighting
-one 9 watt 7100K
-one 27 watt 6700K
-polished reflector
-splash lens
-remote ballast with 6' cord
-separate power cords for dawn and dusk control
<Ok, not bad so far.>
Now, the fishes are:
1 tiny (1") Panther Grouper (a real cutie)
<Wow, only needs a tank about 20 times this size.>
1 Porcupine Puffer (small) a real clown
<And 10 times for this one.>
1 Purple Nudibranch (never seen those before)
<Please see the coverage of these written here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nudibran.htm>
2 Cinnamon (?) Clown Fish
<Finally, something appropriate!>
1 Bubble Anemone (I don't know the species) about 3"
<See here for care info and pictures for proper ID http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
1 Purple Linckia Starfish
<Ok>
2 Anemone Shrimps
<Can be tricky, but manageable.>
1 Red Ball Sponge (?) about 4"
<Very difficult, see here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm>
1 Pseudochromis Strawberry fish, very small
<A soon to be mean little bugger.>
1 tiny Purple Lobster
<Not to be trusted, predatory in nature.>
1 Purple/Orange Sea Squirt
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm>
I wouldn't know all these species myself, but he left a list with their names on the table. And that's it. He left no notes on how to care for them or anything. Just plain gave me the aquarium totally overcrowded with all the fish and corals. Pretty sad, I know, but I need your help with this. I can't move any of them to my other tank because, even though it's large, I made it mainly with aggressive species. I have my Epaulette Shark in there, a blue ribbon eel, a
few lion fish, a Miniata grouper (adult), a queen parrotfish, one warty frog fish, one fishing frog fish, one harlequin tusk fish and a bunch of cardinal fish as food for some of my large predator fish. I also have lots of crustaceans and snails, but they are either for food or as a clean up-crew purpose. I can't move anyone from the small aquarium to my large one because they will become food! Health wise, all the species in the little tank, including corals, are looking great!
<For the time being>
Water temperature, salinity, NO2 and NO3 levels, ammonia levels and all other tests I've done are within normal ranges. The tank actually is quite healthy, considering the overcrowding situation. The owner didn't want anything to do with it when I called (I actually wanted to
yell at him, but I kept my manners to myself) and he said he had the aquarium for about 4 months now and that the only new addition has been the little Panther Grouper, which he bought 2 weeks ago. What do you think I should do?
<Remove just about everyone except the anemone, clownfish, starfish, shrimps, and perhaps the Pseudochromis. Perhaps you have a local marine aquarium society that could help you find good homes for the extras.>
I certainly don't want to spend huge amounts of money buying another very large aquarium. Is a 60 gallon large enough for some of the fish species in there?
<No>
Can I keep only the corals and the clownish in the little tank?
<My thoughts exactly>
How do I feed the corals?
<Please read the links I gave you above.>
What about the wiggly Nudibranch?
<More than likely will die.>
What do I feed that?
<No clue. Most are very select feeders and fail to live in captivity.>
Can I actually leave them all in there, since they all have been doing so well at this point, and wait until the grouper gets larger and move him to my large tank?
<No, someone will die, perhaps several, and you risk having them take the whole tank with them because of the small volume of water.>
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Regards, Marcela
<Good luck to you! -Steven Pro>

Compatibility, stocking a nano
Yet another compatibility query. (YACQ?) First off, I did
consult the compatibility tool, but as this is to be my first reef (and a
nano at that) I wanted to ask someone directly.
I have just ordered a new MRT from CPR, a self contained 13 gallon tank
(including the overflow into the skimmer / sump). I am planning on adding
~15 pounds of your Pago live rock to it, ~12 pounds of live sand, a couple
of fish and inverts. I am most concerned with the fish compatibility.
After much research, I am quite taken with the Banggai cardinals and
would like to keep two to see if they might breed. I would also like to
keep a 6 line wrasse as I am planning to put a couple of clams in the tank
as well and it may help with pest control. Will these 3 fish (and a
couple of clams, some star polyps and not much else) be ok in such a
small tank?
>>
IMO, not really... I would limit this small system to just one Banggai (they can be quite territorial), and maybe one other small fish... and not a Pseudocheilinus as one of the choices... and would definitely not place giant clam species in this size/type of tank... they're not easy to keep in vacillating water quality.... but the star polyps should be fine, and some other species of soft corals, Zoanthids, corallimorphs would go... Otherwise, keep saving for a bigger system.
Bob Fenner

15 gal.s stocking
Hey I have a question. I have 15g tank. What fish would you recommend in 
that tank? Thank you
>>
Maybe a couple of small fishes... like Grammas, smaller species of more peaceful damsels, a Basslet, an Engineer Goby, or a Gobiosoma Goby... maybe a couple of hardy invertebrates like a Cleaner Shrimp of some sort, a leather coral or two... a species of macro-algae... Maybe take a long look at the Selection (Marines in general and Reef), and survey pieces of livestock groups posted at my site: www.wetwebmedia.com for putting together your assortment. Many species/groups detailed there re their suitability, survivability, average maximum size in captivity...
Bob Fenner

Eclipse System Six questions
Bob,
I'm hoping I've finally found a resource to get this question answered. I've talked to a few folks and am getting different answers about how many fish I can keep in my Eclipse System Six aquarium. I've had it up and running for about three months and have so far lost three different groups of fish. I've had Tiger Barbs (which I think are cool) but for some reason I keep killing them - actually they keep dying, it's nothing like homicide at all!
This last time I talked with a fellow at a local shop who said that 3-4 was the maximum for that size tank. After looking like things were going well the fish developed white spots which the gentleman said was ick and sold me some treatment which I used. After five days of this treatments I had two fish left and am now down to 0 Barbs and one algae eater. I'm getting kind of concerned. I really would like to have a tank but I'm getting kind of bothered about all the fish I've been killing.
<3-4 of what size, type? Am concerned with these sorts of "rules of thumb"... one thing I would encourage you to do is actually add an airstone, pump, tubing, check-valve to give you and your fish livestock more "margin of error" and increased circulation, aeration... the Eclipse systems are good for what they do, but do not provide enough of these two qualities... and if the system pump goes, or the tank is accidentally overfed, a fish dies... the air pump/stone may well save the day.>
I've tested the water and the only thing consistently wrong is that the PH seems to be to high. It is currently at 8.8 thought the gentleman at the shop said that he didn't think a high ph alone would be killing them.
<It will with any detectable ammonia... and this is a real concern/problem with new systems... the two coupled together (ammonia/nitrite and high pH) are deadly.>
I've thought about picking up some stuff I've read about called Proper PH which keeps the ph at around 8.2. Is this a good idea? How many fish can I keep in this tank and any suggestions for what kind I should try this time?
<Yes to the pH product... and once the tank has been going for a while, you probably won't need it, or anything else... just frequent partial water changes... as the water has a tendency to "go acid" over time, and the new water will readjust it slightly upward.>
Thanks ahead for any answers you can give me.
Mandy Buckner
Water trail Adventures LLC
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner, Home Page >

Hello I need your help! (too small tank...)
I have been through three Emperor Angels. Two I killed due to copper.
<Really>
The third was definitely not my doing, It kind of behaved and looked like
one of those overly-brightly-colored disoriented specimens from the
Philippines and Indonesia. (cyanided and doomed) who knows!
I unfortunately too late have been told you can't use copper on Angel
fish. So I'm going to try a Pomacanthus annularis
This weekend.
<Perhaps a better choice... or another source for a healthier, more Indian Ocean or Red Sea Emperor...>
He is extremely healthy for I've had my eye on him for about 3 months at
this LFS. Eats, very social!
I DON'T WANT TO KILL IT! I looked on your web site for some info and
found very little on Annularis. Can
you fill me in.
<I will try... saw many specimens of this species the last few weeks diving in Malaysia and Indonesia... was the most common species of Angel as a matter of fact>
I keep what my test kits say is very clean water! I have 65 gall tank
with 40 watt UV and Protein Skimmer.
I have a lot of rock and hiding places. Will he beat up my Flame Angel?
The Quarantine tank is an always running 10 gall with a sponge filter
and mini BioWheel.
This fish is not tiny he has already matured and is about $150.00
Can you Help?
<Likely I can, but you not be initially happy with my advice: your tank is too small for any of the Pomacanthus Angels... I encourage you to stay with or seek out a different member of the genus Centropyge instead (just one in a sixty five)... all covered on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com. 
Bob Fenner>

Help please (small system, maroon clowns, live rock...)
Mr. Fenner,
Oh boy have I gotten in over my head. A friend gave
me an aquarium, 30 gallons with live sand/coral. She
told me it had been cycled (she had it a long time)
and was ready to go. I let it run for a week, then
bought a cleanup crew and some rock. I realize I have
a bunch of questions and will be very grateful if you
can answer a few! 
<I will try>
I have read a lot of your info on
your site...but this is overwhelming.
I'm confused about the rock and I'm reading and
hearing conflicting information.
<There is plenty of this in our interest... and therefore a need for a clear, discerning mind, and searching, ferreting out on ones own>
I purchased
pre-cured live rock fro